Christmas tree ornament



Nov. 5, 1940.

M. A. FISHEL CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENT Filed Dec. 20, 1939 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 5, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

This invention relates to Christmas tree ornaments of the type wherein the decorative element is in the form of a hollow body adapted to be suspended as a pendant from a branch or twig of the tree.

The typical Christmas tree ornament of the above type comprises a hollow bulb-like body, which is constructed of glass and includes a neck on the end of which is provided a loosely fitting cup-like cap, the bottom of which is formed With a slot adapted to receive the two normally diverging spring-like arm portions of a loop-like fastening device, through the eye of which may be looped a relatively short length of wire adapted to function as a suspension-device by which the ornament may be attached to the branch or twig of the tree, the bulb-like body together with the cup-like cap and loop-like fastening device being held in an assembled relation by reason of the fact that the diverging arm portions of the fastening device impinge against the inner wall of the bulb-like body at or in the vicinity of the juncture of said neck with the main portion of said body.

In an ornament of the type generally described above, the cup-like cap is employed somewhat for the sake of appearance and somewhat as a protective covering for the outer end of the neck which, like the main portion of the bulb-like body, is of an extremely fragile character; but such cap does not in any way cooperate with the loop-like fastening device or the bulb-like body in effecting a positive, dependable and reliable interconnection between such body and fastening device, with the result that these'two elements are frequently unduly and unintentionally separated as will be readily understood when it is taken into account that only a very slight pull exerted on these elements in opposite directions is necessary to so spring the diverging arm portions of the fastening device as to permit them to pass freely out of the bulb-like body by way of the neck thereof. Indeed, the connection afforded between the bulb-like body and the looplike fastening device isoften so ineffective that the weight of the extremely light body, when suspended in its decorative position n a tree, is suficient to cause the arm portions of the fastening device to so yield as to permit the body to become detached from its associated fastening device, with the result that such body falls by gravity and is broken. In certain instances separation of'the bulb-like body from its associated fastening device occurs under such conditions that the body remains intact and may be reclaimed in an unharmed or substantially unharmed condition, whereupon it becomes necessaryto re-attach the fastening device to render the ornament usable.- It is customary, however,

the arm portions of that'device farther apart so as to increase the holding effect of the same, assuming they can be successfully re-linserted through the neck of the ornament, but the intensified spring action of the more widely separated arm portions of the fastening device not only makes the insertion of the fastening device more difficult but also enhances the likelihood of fracturing or breaking the neck, in an attempt to effect such insertion, as will be readily understood when it is taken into account that preparatory to reassembling the ornament the arm portions are sprurfg together, whereupon they are introduced into the outer end of the neck and released, with the result that the outwardly directed force which they, when so released, exert on theinner wall of the neck fracture or break such neck before an opportunity is had to move the fastening device to its final position within the bulb-like body. Once such breakage of even only the outer end portion of the neck occurs, further attempts to assemble the ornament are even more difficult to effect without breakage than in the first instance.

Important objects of the present invention are. to overcome the above-mentioned defects which are peculiar to conventional Christmas tree ornaments of the general type to which this invention pertains and to obviate the difficulties heretofore encountered because of such defects.

To the above and other ends the invention contemplates a bulb-like body in association with a suspension device, which may be directly at tached to a branch or twig of a Christmas tree and is connected to said bulb-like body through? the medium of an anchoring device carried by said bulb-likebody and effectively maintained against undue displacement with relation to such body.

Other objects and advantages of theinvention will become apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a bulb-like body for use in Christmas tree ornaments constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig.2 is a side elevation of an anchoring device adapted to be attached to the neck of the bulb-like body of Fig. 1 and to be normally held against displacement with relation to such body;

before re-attaching the fastening device to spring Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the anchoring device of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the anchoring device, the section being taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a suspension device for use in association with the anchoring device of Figs. 2 to 4;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a Christmas tree ornament constructed in accordance with the present invention and including the bulb-like body of Fig. 1, the anchoring device of Figs. 2 to 4. and the suspension device of Fig. 5, the suspension device being illustrated as attached to a branch or twig of a Christmas tree from which the ornament is suspended, and

Fig. '7 is a view similar to that of Fig. 4 and showing a slightl modified form of anchoring device.

Although the decorative elements of Christmas tree ornaments constructed in accordance with the present invention may be so formed or fabricated as to present various geometrical configurations, the decorative element herein illustrated is of a simple geometrical contour in the form of a hollow bulb-like body II! which is constructed of suitable material, such as glass which is colored or otherwise treated to present an attractive and pleasing optical eifect. The bulblike body ID, which includes a neck H, may be blown or otherwise formed so as to provide on the outer end of the neck ll an external screwthread [2, or the equivalent of such thread, adapted to so cooperate with an anchoring device such as is indicated by the numeral I4 in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 6. The anchoring device 14 consists of a thingauge metal cap, the side wall l5 of which is provided with a screw-thread H5, or the equivalent thereof, and the end wall ll of which is sheared along parallel lines between which is struck out a yoke-like rib l8 serving as a suspension-device-receiving element.

The-anchoring device I4 is so dimensioned as to enable it to be readily applied to the neck ll of the bulb-like body Land in view of the complementary relationship of the screw-threads I 2 and I6 it follows that these threads function as means for directly attaching the anchoring device to the bulb-like body and for normally maintaining such device against displacement with relation to such body.

In order that the ornament may be readily attached to abranch or twig of a Christmas tree and effectively held in its decorative position, a suspension device 20 is provided for use in association with the anchoring device H. The suspension device 20 comprises a coil spring 2|, the convolutions of which normally lie in a close contiguous relation to each other but are adapted to be sprung apart, as shown in Fig. 5, so as to permit the ready reception therebetween of a Christmas tree branch or twig 22 against which adjacent convolutions of the spring are adapted to normally impinge with sufficient force to securely attach the suspension device to the branch or twig. As shown most clearly in Fig. 5, the spring 2| terminates at one end in a loop 24 and at its opposite end in a loop-like latch 25, the free arm 26 of which is provided at its extreme end with a hook-like keeper 21. The resiliency of the latch 25 is such that its free arm 26 is, when unlatched, so separated from the spring 2| as to permit it to be readily passed under the yoke-like rib 18 of the anchoring device Min attaching the suspension device to the anchoring 'devicewith which is associated the bulb-like body l0 when the ornament is in its final or completely assembled condition. After attaching the suspension device to the anchoring device in the manner thus far described, the latch 25 may be closed by pressing the arm 26 to such position as will permit that arm upon the release of pressure to spring outwardly into interlocking engagement with that convolution with which the latching device is directly associated, whereupon the keeper, due to its overlying relation to such convolution, becomes effective to hold the arm 26 against such displacement as would result in undue opening of the latch 25.

If desired, the form of anchoring device shown in Fig. '7 and there indicatedby the numeral I4 may be substituted for the anchoring device It. The anchoring device [4' difiers from the anchoring device l4 only insofar as the type of suspension-device-receiving element is concerned. In this connection it will be observed that the suspension-device-receiving element of the anchoring device l4 comprises a rib-like lobe 28 which is struck up from the end wall l1 and is so pierced as to provide an aperture 30 adapted for the reception of the latch 25 of the suspension device 20, which suspension device, when used in association with the anchoring device l4, is'adapted tofunction in a manner identical with that described in -connection with the anchoring device l4.

From the foregoing description, it will become apparent that an ornament constructed in accordance with the present invention may be readily attached to or detached from a branch or twig of a Christmas tree by springing apart the convolutions of the spring 2| a sufficient distance to permit the branch or twig to be received therebetween or removed therefrom, as the case may be, the loop 24 being adapted, as will be readily understood, to facilitate such stretching of the spring as is required to efiect that degree of separation of the convolutions as is necessary to accommodate the Christmas tree branch or twig or permit the removal of such branch or twig.

Moreover, it is to be noted that the present invention is such that the defects herein pointed out as peculiar to the conventional type of Christmas tree ornaments are eliminated because of the fact that the suspension device, which is adapted to be attached to a branch or twig of a Christmas tree, is connected to the bulb-like body of the ornament through the medium of an anchoring device carried by that body and effectively maintained against undue displacement with respect to such body.

Aside from the advantages herein particularly described as peculiar to the present invention, it is to be observed that the invention is'suchthat fewer parts are required than in the conventional type of Christmas tree ornaments, particularireference being had to the eliminationof the abovementioned ineffective and unreliable loop like fastening device .of the prior art.

It will be understood that various structural changes other than those herein particularly pointed out may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention .or the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. vA Christmas tree ornament comprising a .decorative element, an anchoring device carried by :said decorative element, means cooperating with'fsaid decorative "element rand-said anchoring device for maintaining said element and said device against displacement with relation to each.

other, and a suspension device connected to said anchoring device and adapted to be attached to a branch or twig of a Christmas tree whereby the ornament may be suspended in decorative position.

2. A Christmas tree ornament comp-rising a decorative element in the form of a bulb-like body having a neck, an anchoring device associated with said neck, means cooperating with said neck and with said anchoring device for maintaining said decorative element and said device against displacement with relation to each other, and a suspension device connected to said anchoring device and adapted to be attached to a branch or twig of a Christmas tree whereby the ornament may be suspended in decorative position.

3. A Christmas tree ornament comprising a decorative element, an anchoring device carried by said decorative element, interlocking means provided in part on said decorative element and in part on said anchoring device for maintaining said element and said device against displacement with relation to each other, and a suspension device connected to said anchoring device and adapted to be attached to a branch or twig of a Christmas :tree whereby the ornament may be suspended in decorative position.

4. A Christmas tree ornament comprising a decorative element in the form of a bulb-like body having a neck, an anchoring device associated with said neck, interlocking means provided in part on said neck and in part on said anchoring device for maintaining said decorative element and said device against displacement with relation to each other, and a suspension device connected to said anchoring device and adapted to be attached to a branch or twig of a Christmas tree whereby the ornament may be suspended in decorative position.

5. A Christmas tree ornament comprising a decorative element, an anchoring device carried by said decorative element, means cooperating with said decorative element and said anchoring device for maintaining said element and said device against displacement with relation to each other, and a suspension device in the form of a coil spring connected to said anchoring device, convolutions of which spring are adapted to receive therebetween and impinge on a branch or twig of a Christmas tree whereby the ornament may be suspended in a decorative position.

6. A Christmas tree ornament comprising a decorative element in the form oi a bulb-like body having a neck, an anchoring device associated with said neck, means cooperating with said neck and with said anchoring device for maintaining said decorative element and said device against displacement with relation to each other, and a suspension device in the form of a coil spring connected to said anchoring device, convolutions of which spring are adapted to receive therebetween and impinge on a branch or twig of a Christmas tree whereby the ornament may be suspended in a decorative position.

7. A Christmas tree ornament comprising a decorative element, an anchoring device carried by said decorative element, means cooperating with said decorative element and said anchoring device for maintaining said element and said de- 8. A Christmas tree ornament comprising a.

decorative element in the form of a bulb-like body having a neck, an anchoring device associated with said neck, means cooperating with said neck and with said anchoring device for maintaining said decorative element and said device against displacement with relation to each other, and a suspension device in the'iorm of a coil spring terminating at one end in a loop-like latch having an interlooped connection with said anchoring device and including an arm adapted to maintain interlocking connection with said spring, convolutions of which spring are adapted to receive therebetween and impinge on a branch or twig of a Christmas tree whereby the ornament may be suspended in a decorative position.

9. A Christmas tree ornament comprising a decorative element, an anchoring device carried by said decorative element, interlocking means provided in part on said decorative element and in parton said anchoring device for maintaining volutions of which spring are adapted to receive therebetween and impinge on a branch or twig of a Christmas tree whereby the ornament may be suspended in a decorative position.

10. A Christmas tree ornament comprising a decorative element in the form of a bulb-like body having a neck, an anchoring device associated with said neck, interlocking means provided in part on said neck and in part on said.

anchoring device for maintaining said decorative element and said device against displacement with relation to each other, and a suspension device in the form of a coil spring terminating at one end in a loop-like latch having an interlooped connection with said anchoring device and including an arm adapted to maintain I interlocking connection with said spring, convolutions of which spring are adapted to receive therebetween and impinge on a branch or twig of a Christmas tree whereby the ornament may be suspended in a decorative position.

MILTON A. FISHEL. 

